Commentary by Karen Nazor Hill

When I get home each night from work, I have a 12-year-old and 3-year-old eagerly awaiting my arrival. I'll be greeted with excitement, kisses and adoration.

My Chihuahuas are always happy to see me.

It's a routine we go through every evening. They hear my car as I pull into the driveway. As soon as I walk into the house, I head for the sofa in the living room where they jump in my lap and greet me as though I've come home from a monthlong vacation.

It's called love.

For the naysayers who say dogs don't have feelings, I say they're wrong. Dogs give love; they feel love.

During a recent late-night thunderstorm, my oldest Chihuahua, Poka, woke me up whining. The storm was scaring her, and she was visibly shaken. Typically, she prefers to sleep in her own bed (while Ruby, the youngest, has to sleep between my husband and me). When I picked her up to put her in bed with the rest of the family -- me, my husband, and Ruby, the youngest Chihuahua -- she went under the blanket and fell fast asleep. She stopped shaking. She wasn't scared. She was content because she felt loved and safe.

When my children grew up and moved away, it was very hard for me. I seriously missed my kids. But what I soon came to terms with was that my little dogs kept me from being so lonely. They wanted my love, and, in return, I got theirs.

Dogs never judge you, and they instantly forgive you if you're in a bad mood.

My dogs snuggle and very often make me laugh at their silly antics.

Thirteen years ago, Gizmo, my 20-year-old Chihuahua, died. The pain I felt was intense. Gizmo was such a part of our lives, and she brought us two decades of joy. Poka and Ruby are doing the same thing. I love my dogs, and there will never be a time in my life that I won't have a Chihuahua. Never.

Tail-wagging treats

Today's pampered pets have many choices of treats, from peanut butter cookies to carob muffins. Here are three worth barking for from area pet bakeries.

* Aunt Sue's K-9 Bakery -- 1420 McCallie Ave., www.auntsuesdogtreats.com.

Peanut Butter Bones, $4.50 per 12-ounce bag.

They're made with whole-wheat flour, baking powder, self-rising flour, a dash of garlic powder, vegetable oil and a generous scoop of peanut butter.

* Bone Appetit Bakery -- 103 Frazier Ave., www.bone-appetit-bakery.com.

Paw Print Cookies, three for $1.

Resembling their human counterpart, thumbprint cookies, they are made with carob, peanut butter, oatmeal and flax for a soft texture, then topped with seasonally tinted yogurt.

* Four Paws and a Tail Boutique -- 8126 East Brainerd Road, www.4pawsandatailboutique.com.

Chicken and honey bones, $3.99 for 10.

A mixture of chicken, honey, flour and eggs is shaped into a bone, then baked till crunchy.

-- Compiled by Anne Braly

Doggy digs

Although a few places like the Walnut Street Bridge and Coolidge Park are off-limits to dogs, Fido can still stop and smell the scenery at several other locales. Among them:

* Chattanooga Chew Chew Canine Park

* Ross's Landing

* Renaissance Park

* Chester Frost Park

* Greenway Farm

* Miller Park

* Miller Plaza

* Heritage Park

* Riverview Park

* Chattanooga levee trails

-- Compiled by staff writer Clint Cooper

Furry flicks

There's no shortage of films that feature dogs. Here are just a few flicks spotlighting the charming and frustrating aspects of being a pet owner:

* "Old Yeller" -- One of the greatest pet films of all time, with perhaps one of the most infamously heart-wrenching conclusions.

* "That Darn Cat!" -- A classic from the 1960s starring Grayson Hall and Frank Gorshin, in which a Siamese cat helps to foil a robbery.

* "Beethoven" -- Charles Grodin and Bonnie Hunt star in this movie about a super destructive but lovable St. Bernard named for the famous composer.

* "Bolt" -- An Academy Award-nominated Disney animated comedy about a canine TV star convinced he has superpowers on a journey to "rescue" his owner. Voiced by John Travolta and Miley Cyrus.

* "Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey" -- Two dogs and a cat separated from their owners travel cross-country to reunite with them. Based on Sheila Burnford's best-selling novel.

* "Babe" -- An Australian film about a pig raised alongside dogs who wants to be a professional sheep herder for his owner, played by James Cromwell.

* "Duma" -- A boy in South Africa travels deep into the wild to help return his pet cheetah, Duma, to his natural habitat. Loosely based on a novel by Xan Hopcraft.

* "K-9" -- John Belushi stars as a cop unwillingly partnered with a German shepherd.

* "White Fang" -- The Disney film based on Jack London's classic novel about the friendship that develops between a Canadian gold miner and a wolf dog.

* "Andre" -- A young girl in Maine forms a deep bond with a seal pup, a relationship that frays as Andre grows older. Based on Harry Goodridge's novel "A Seal Called Andre."

-- Compiled by Casey Phillips